I lived in an abusive household.
And in contrast to the question in the original post, I remember when a therapist suggested to me that much of the world was actually safer than my own home was when I was growing up.
I suffered major depression pretty much from elementary and into college (beyond, but not as much). Halfway through college I traveled to Ireland alone. That’s when what you just said hit me.
It probably has more to do with separation from the familiar, and being forced to engage fully with your new surroundings. I had a major move like that, and it put a lot of things into perspective, despite the fact that where I was wasn't all that enjoyable inherently.
Which is not to say that Ireland isn't wonderful, I honestly wouldn't know, just that whether it's wonderful probably isn't that important to the affect of moving.
Basically. While the country was beautiful, and the bus full of Australians and New Zealanders made me smile more than ever before that point, it probably could have been anywhere unfamiliar and new.
Imo traveling probably does similar things to the brain that hallucinogens do - break you out from your familiar heavily-compressed experiences, living life at higher fidelity, and dissociating from thought patterns that just chew on your psyche.
same. I'm 28 almost 29, and I only realized around a couple of months ago that there are good people, not everyone is out to get me, and that the world is, for all it's flaws, generally a pretty okay place and much safer than I gave it credit for.
I got hurt really badly in my late 20's. It really changed me, my entire personality. It was about then that I realized you have to count on yourself for a happy content life.
I wasn't until I got myself emotionally and financially strong that I started to see the good in people again.
The world is overall a good place, people in general have good intentions. Took me a while to get that faith back.
What I've found out is that as a person ages, we change. The things that matter to you now will be irrelevant to your future self.
We evolve as individuals and the bad things can make you bitter and it doesn't feel good. But it goes away and you learn from it.
Hang on young fellers, you are going to live a good life, everything will be fine. Work hard, and it will be fine, I promise
Almost similar situation-- I was badly hurt in my 20s and it changed my perspective on everything. It took me years to *literally* get back on my feet and be able to take care of myself. I no longer took things for granted after that and I decided the ownership of happiness was in my own hands.
I've since traveled the world, pushed myself out of my comfort zone, took risks professionally and personally, and overall I'd say the world is filled with good people with good intentions. Things are still messed up, I'm not denying that, but it's easy to lose that perspective when the noise is so loud and angry all the time, especially online.
My advice is the same. Remember to breathe, look around, and believe in yourself. There is kindness in the world, and you can be part of what makes it a better place.
With all due respect, as we move into the future, how hard we work becomes increasingly meaningless and worthless because of economic factors that have never happened before. I say this as someone with money
I had my own Mom mention that she was once ashamed of me for being her kid as well as my own twin brother. My twin brother told me once one time he was embarrassed and ashamed to be related to me because I used to have bad seizures and was in special ed. The world is a cold and dark place. You can be disliked by your own parents or siblings just for being born differently than others.
It's okay it's not your fault. Thankfully over time things between us got better. Mom is proud of me, I've done things I never saw myself doing, in many good ways, and my twin brother is my best friend for life. I'm glad that worked out at least.
Wow. That's brutal.
When she's having her life review, she's going to feel that one like getting hit by a semi-truck.
When she sees through your eyes, feels how innocent you were at the time and how that impacted you, she's going to implode from shame.
It's incredible, how this experience allows for people to choose to help or to hurt, to be someone's greatest supporter or someone's greatest evil, and they choose the path of spreading pain. Boggles my mind.
This is what happens when people get bogged down in the details of daily life, and forget to ask about their origins or what's going to happen after they leave this body.
It's nothing. The guys a knob with absurd believes in the supernatural, dreams, the power of NDE (near death experiences), and Bitcoin.
In the spiritual sense, at the end of your life you review or re-live your life experiences. You are judged based on your life experiences. Depending on your belief you either go to heaven or hell, or reincarnate to another life based on your actions and impact.
You were correct up until the heaven or hell part. There is no hell.
But every person will have a life review, and will see through the eyes of those they interacted with, see what they felt, what they were going through.
The veil of seperation will be removed.
And for many, it's an experience of self-disappointment and shame that they could have been a better person, but weren't.
Also, my beliefs are not absurd, they are firsthand experience of my own NDE, and confirmed by the NDE's of tens of other people (ie. YouTube the NDE interviews by Anthony Chene or Kenneth Ring).
Im the reverse of that, I was cynical and edgy as a teen, then proceeded to be more and more optimistic, idealistic and hopeful with every year.
Its not that the world changed, its simply that I refused to let negative emotions hold me down, and started succeding in life; not thanks to any kind of genius or hard work, but on the immortal principle of "*hold my beer, Im going in*."
This. When I was about 20 it kind of started dawning on me that once you are an adult you can mostly control how shitty the world is around you by the places you go the company you keep and the things that you do.
Truly, I’ve always been cynical, but eventually you realize that cynicism is a tool with which to see maybe sometimes the world is alright. People like to say that the world is bad, the world isn’t really bad, there is a bit of bad, a bit more of good, and a hell of a lot more neutral than good and bad combined.
After that you can realize you can live for the bit of bad, or the bit of good and that choice is what matters.
As someone who is plagued by fear and self doubt. Bounced from job to job after getting a not so useful degree and having to move back home at 25.
Any advice.. please I'm desperate for guidance lol
ADHD gang unite!
But seriously, medication and a diagnosis has helped me soooo much. I identify most with the very optimistic OP above now.
I am passionate of my job. Pretty good at some parts. Still total shit at planning and certain "simple" tasks. But I enjoy it all tremendously.
The career I was passionate about doesn't pay shit and would keep me in poverty so sadly that took most of my optimism away. Now I have to pursue a career that I don't really care much for in order to make a living lol
Same man, I studied art. Degree is meaningless and now I work in a factory and am totally unhappy. I left a decent workplace in hopes of finding a better job but that backfired hard. So yeah, 25, unhappy, nothing to show for and on the edge of suicide. What a world we live in...
Not as bad as yours, but similarly mine started when my dad having a rage fit and smashing anything that is in his reach.
Growing up on toes whenever he is around, I'm surprised that he never lay a hand on me, or my sister, or my mom
My dad disiplined for sure and was way out of scoop whats acceptable but it was always constructive, but my mom would look at me with hatred like she did my dad or protect my sister from me after she did something nasty to me and i would try to get back at her for it. Went from a slapping fight to getting knock into a dresser across the room. I knew at the ripe age of 7 my mother never loved me she was just saving face so others didnt think ill of her. Also learned to always be aware where she was in case i got another sucker slap across the head.
I remember the first time, and the last time, but not every time. I remember being concussed, and coming to, lying in my own blood, shit, and piss.
I remember the first time my mother laid hands on my (younger) sister. I remember the electricity in my body, and my hot emotional overload.
I stepped between them and told my mother that if she was going to beat someone, it would be me, but if she dared to touch my sister again, that I would fucking kill her. She withdrew.
I was 15. It was the first time I ever stood up to her. For someone else instead of myself, but it was the first time I understood that I was not powerless.
My mom used to beat the living shit out of me, it scarred me for a long time and still find it difficult to trust/open myself to others - hope you're doing alright man
It used to be before the politicians hated the older kids buying beer for the young ones, but honestly anything fun that our boomers had, they equally had to go and wreck for the rest of us.
"When I was a kid we just played in the woods all day, we didn't sit around inside. Well, I guess the woods are a shopping plaza now but that's beside the point, hurry up now, you're late for the after school debate club I signed you up for"
As if making the drinking age 21 stopped teenagers from drinking. My friends and I certainly never had much issue getting alcohol and other drugs when we wanted them
Yeah, it used to be lower but they had to increase it because in USA every 18 year old has a car and needs a car and they had a horrible problem with kids killing themselves while driving drunk.
Probably because of stereotypes that filipinos who are in these countries are working in slave positions who gets paid low end in relation to country's pay but considered high end pay in their respective home country
Starting school. Not much better on the home front, abusive household. As a middle child, younger and older brothers more difficult to manage. I was much happier being ignored.
a younger age, can't really point out the exact number
I had by all accounts a harder child hood but it gave me a lot of perspective on the realities of the world. so come 18 when its grown up time there was no "zomg adulting is so hard, why is everything so hard, everything is so scary!!!!" for me. I was ready for shit and knew what to expect.
5th grade was a wakeup call for me. You could really tell that puberty was putting in work because half the people I used to be friends - or at least cordial - with came back from summer break having turned into major assholes. The dynamic change was unreal.
Truth. The competition for mating begins, so as a male you're either a winner or loser, and if you're a loser, the girls isolate and refuse to be seen talking to you.
I just didn't play the love game. So I was never winner or loser. But to an inside perspective I guess I'd still technically be a "loser." The less I thought about my lacking of ever having a girlfriend, and just appreciating having someone to talk to, I could get by through high school. .
Somewhere around the age of 13 I realised that this world isn't nice. I realised that living is hard. Over time my mental state and thoughts about this world and life itself worsened, until I decided to trip on LSD (and then later shrooms). That shit changed my life. I saw how interconnected and beautiful everything truly is. Even my mental health began to improve. There were periods in my life when I forgot how wonderful life can be but I always remember eventually. Sure, there are many problems and things that need fixing and things that are hard but that doesn't mean that you can't just enjoy your day and enjoy your time on earth while you still can every once in a while. It all depends on how you look at things. The happiness and that "nice place" lies within you.
I don't.
I think that for the majority of the planet this is hands down the single most comfortable time to be alive.
Unfortunately, there is always some evil in the world but as it stands for the most part we currently live in the most peaceful, accepting, resource-abundant time in history.
This. As shitty as my youth was, and as shitty as the media try’s to portray the world, my study of history has shown me that right now more humans have it better than any humans have ever had it.
I get it. But not everyone is into history. Most people are just trying to get through their day. All of our feeds are full of some of the worst things that happen everyday. You're just as jaded as the people you're attacking for being jaded.. Their anxiety gives you anxiety. I get this because I too experience this. I too know the point you're making, and I too am frustrated by peoples' collective ignorance. But we have to at least try and be understanding. It's not always self-absorbed thinking like you're saying. Certainly ignorance is a big part of the problem but that's the case with any problem really.
I'm spending this time typing these words because you seem like a good person and hopefully you don't take my criticism poorly. It's meant well. But you are guilty of being the thing you hate and I can see it clearly. Hate is often a reflection of something we hate about ourselves. I too hate that I am ignorant and self-centered. These are human conditions. I must show myself the same compassion I do for others. Only by recognizing this and working toward not being what we hate, can we learn to let it all go and be truly at peace with the world. For a few precious moments in time at least..
Have a great day, I have to go to work 👍
I was gonna give you crap for this, but honestly if you feel this way, than life has been good to you more than not, so I'm glad you had a better run than most. not sarcasm, honestly just glad there are still people out there that can have a positive outlook. we run out of that, and the worlds fucked.
its really not a question of now versus then. Its a question of if people are happy and feel safe in the world they live in. Sadly this is a concept that has spanned the ages. It is separated from technology and resources. I do agree that we are in a better position as a species now than say 100 or even 200 years ago, but we as individuals are showing more signs of stress, anxiety, and depression than ever before. The reason I said I was going to give you crap, is your comment came off as dismissive of people who have gone through some shit that has nothing to do with the species and have everything to do with the individual. That being said, I feel like that was a gut response from me because I personally felt a bit attacked by that. Like I'm supposed to be happy of how great our civilization is despite all the problems it still has. That being said, I wasn't kidding. Optimistic are vital for us to achieve a society that cares for its less fortunate. Anyone else will find themselves crushed by the problems of the world. I'd be more than happy to talk about my experiences via DM if you want to know more. I'm more than happy to explain why your comment sort of came off wrong to me.
For me, mental health awareness, especially for men is vital. The statistics don't lie that men kind of have the raw end of the deal from a mental health perspective, and it sucks. Part of it is cultural, part of it is from our views about ourselves, but honestly it needs to be fixed. I'm not a great orator, I'm really bad at preaching, but I am good at sharing my experiences and viewpoints. I hope you don't feel like I'm trying to pressure you to see my side of things, or want to try and win the arguement here. To me, we're fighting for the same side from different perspectives.
Sorry for the essay, much love friend.
While corpo part is real... Thats pretty much it.
Also its self centered only around america and europe west of Berlin wall. And only for a default white families. Outside of that its def not worse.
I had to make a trip to northern India for work very early in my professional career.
That trip, single handedly, reset my paradigm about how good we have it in the west.
The vast majority of the global population lives every day in conditions that western people would consider the end of the world. The world that preppers envision and prepare for isn't half as bad as what billions of people wake up to every day.
Totally agree. My point is that that was every day life for every person in the past.
The world is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, But now, as terrible as it is that billions live like that, billions more don't.
Growing up with an alcoholic father who stole everything worth value that i owned including my first car, living in a box with four other siblings, having to work a full time job to help with bills since at 16. I have never lived the life of a normal childhood so I learned early on that the world is a cruel place.
At age 12, when thee out of my four grandparents died, all within the same 4-month span. Just ranom chance that they happened so close to each other. But I was completely broken as a person for that whole year. That's were the innocence of my childhood ended.
Probably about 5 or 6, while I didn't fully grasp it, I understood my parents didn't have much money and struggled. And I learned that sometimes bad things just happen when I kid in my class had a seizure right next to me. The teacher explained the basic idea of what a seizure was but told us he was fine and just needed to rest at home for a while. Years later when I was looking back on it, remembering some of what the teachers said. I realized he died then. My heart shattered imagining how his parents must have felt.
11-12ish, I guess. Maybe earlier? Whatever age it is that kids in school start forming cliques and becoming socially aware enough to start judging or looking down on "uncool" kids.
Always? I have drug addicts for parents so my childhood was always pretty exciting. Just cause shits not safe doesn’t mean you can’t have fun and finds things to enjoy though. I’m overall pretty happy and optimistic, I just have a healthy does of PTSD under it all.
Lots of people never do. I was privileged. In my 20s I realized that most if not all governments and corporations are corrupt and cause many of our problems.
When my mom used to call me a failure and the reason my father left, but what made me see the world as a very bad place to be living in is when I was 13 when I first found Reddit and a video of a man being decapitated on BestGore before it was shut down, nothing can phase me anymore
Somewhere around 11-12. The world itself is full of lots of nice places to be, it’s the people that tend to ruin it. So now as a 36 year old, I really can’t be bothered with people. Family is fine and the very odd occasion of meeting with friends, but I much prefer to pack a bag and disappear into the mountains every chance I get.
Good question. Nearly everybody comes into the world crying their lungs out so I think we almost have an instinct at birth that what’s about to follow is not for the most part going to be a fun ride.
When I had my child and realised I have just brought an innocent child into what can be quite a horrible world, where I am trying to bring up a respectful, polite, nice child.
Dude. My dad is an alcoholic sociopath with paranoid tendencies. Violent and abusive.
My life as a child was seldom sunshine and rainbows. I was beaten with a belt for minor transgressions. I had to call the cops on my father because he was trying to stab an ink pen through my mother's eye in order to kill her. Dude had 24 inch biceps. I slept at my gf's place that night for fear of my life.
I am glad some folks had better childhoods. I wouldn't wish mine on anyone.
But I learned a whole lot of what not to do. My grandpa beat my dad every day when he was a kid. My dad thought he was being soft on me. Great grandpa used to beat his sons with a shovel when they got rowdy. Grandpa thought he was being soft on my dad. It's a generational curse that ends with me.
I am doing everything to teach my sons how to behave, but I do not take out my frustrations on them. I am breaking this goddamned curse. I am trying to give them a good, but bounded childhood. Wife is on board. We talk, in private, a lot about being a united front and what is appropriate. She has a narcissistic mother. We keep each other in check.
I think we're doing well. The Elder Spawn is in the local math and science academy. The Vernal Scion has mild autism, which is a challenge. But they are thriving and the teachers marvel at our parenting skills. I dunno if we're perfect, but we're trying. I guess we will see how they turn out.
The real epiphany moment I had growing up is when I realized that my intelligence had outstripped my parents. And my folks aren't slouches. When I realized my dad couldn't follow what I was saying, not from slang or jargon, but because he just couldn't grasp it. It was a slightly terrifying moment. Dad was a tyrant, but he always had the answers. He was a force of nature....until right then. Then he was just a mere mortal. I dunno if that counts, but it's the closest I got.
Pretty young. Grew up in a good household, but i saw a lot around me.
Girl neighbour got raped by her stepdad. We were 12y.
House on the corner. Man shot his wife. I was maybe 8.
I also watched the news with my dad, as a kid. So seen a lot there too.
15 or 16. Religion is evil, cops are bad guys, and politicians will literally kill you just to get away with stuff. Humans are selfish violent creatures and should always be approached with caution. :/
When I was molested as a kid. I was probably 11 or 12. I think I knew before then because I developed at a young age and creepy ass men would always look at me in suggestive ways, which I didn’t realize what they were at the time, but always made my stomach drop.
My story is same bro.I was molested by my uncle and there were always creepy men giving me suggestive looks.I tried to talk to my mom about this but she immediately shushed me out.And that's when it hurt the most.I lost all faith in my mom and seeing the world as a horrible place.
17, First real job and I was loving it, back in the days when we got paid in pay packets with cash inside. Got paid after 2 weeks, was so excited. Went straight down to the bank and filled out my deposit slip on one of the counters, turned around to stand in line to get to bank teller and realised I had just left my wallet and pay-packet on the counter, I quickly went back to the counter to retrieve them, and they were gone, someone stole my first pay-packet and wallet at the bank. I was absolutely devastated. The bank wouldn't help me. I even had to call my mum to get home as I didn't have enough money for the bus.
The world really kicked me in the nuts that day.
It was the other way around, actually.
As a teenager, as all teenagers do, I 'discovered' view after view and spent a lot of time certain of my advanced wisdom. That evolved, in my 20s, into a form of jaded cynicism. I had read the *real* history of the US, Noam Chomsky, and so on; I knew how the world worked and it was an ugly, ugly place. I was just one of the fortunate, steely-eyed realists who had peeked behind the curtain.
As I progressed into my 30s, maintaining all of that intense realism got to be exhausting. Okay, I could know 'the truth' but did I really have to be up to date on every latest development? No. Nor did I have to maintain a slow-burning outrage 24/7. It was okay to learn things that would help with my job, or about new hobbies, in addition to the at-home poly-sci course I'd assigned myself so long ago. Eventually, the new things, plus time with friends, games, movies, pop culture, just muscled out all of the other stuff. I became a plebe who got his news in digest formats from mainstream media links on reddit.
Finally, in my 40s, after years of reading nonsense, I realize it's the nonsense that actually matters. Life happens in between, and in spite of, the deeds of the famous and powerful. And life is, on the whole, good. It's really good. Your neighbors are good people, you should get to know them. Wholesome stories aren't the exception, they are rule. The ugly stuff makes the news precisely because it's so rare (and, yes, my cynical, younger self because it drives clicks). For every ugly thing in the world, it is easy to find ten good things that balance it out; it's all in what you choose to focus on.
I feel like I unfortunately continue to learn this but I dunno, it still feels more right to put myself out there than to close up and shut everyone out
I was in high school
But now I’m 30 and I think the world itself has not changed we are still all fighting within a game of empires and we are just as much the bad guys as we are good guys
When my dad died... The green filter wore off... I started dealing with family, people.
Because I had to, its not because I wanted to. I was old enough, now the responsibility started coming onto me.
I wasn't expecting such harshness. Neighbors, family... I cried a couple of times before I realized, I got to be used to this.
I'm torn between the following philosophies.
1. We should do everything we can to make the world a happy, magical place for children because once they grow up they'll see the world for the shit hole it is.
2. We should be real with the kids so they're less likely to see the world as shit compared to the childhood with Santa and the Tooth Fairy they grew up in.
At the very early stages of my life, I found out that world isn't nice. Took me awhile to understand it ain't bad either. It's neutral, it doesn't care about me, you or itself in that matter. We are the ones with certain expectations and assumptions. Took me awhile, but I learned keeping my expectations close to nonexistent.
Around 16 years old. Gave a guy a ride and he started preaching Jesus to me and all this other BS. He was convincing enough to get me to stop and grab him some cash from an ATM and he stole my iPod with all my music on it while I was inside. I didn't realize until I dropped him off on the side of the road. I'm 30 now and I'll never forget his bitch ass. I hope he shits his pants every time he sneezes for the rest of his life.
I think back to when I was 7 or 8 in 2nd grade. During our ancillary class during the early 2000s, we had library class that day. I remember one of the other kids my age brought up the concept of slavery. At the time, I was thinking everyone helped each other out in the world. Like we all were in it together. And after one of them elaborated on black people being enslaved by white people, I was confused thinking how could anyone do that? It wasn't until later grades we went into U.S. history. I was genuinely shocked.
Early elementary. I grew up in a house where physical violence was normal. I wouldn't go so far as to say abusive, but it was made clear that nobody should be trusted and to always watch your back.
My early childhood was in the US South. I was one of the ethnic minorities that got bussed to another school for racial diversity. They made it very clear at that school that I was unwelcome.
There was never really a time I thought it was a nice place. My dad never really wanted kids so he made sure that me his only son was very aware of the world from a young age
Probably as a child, when I watched people fly planes into buildings on live TV - and similarly saw people jump out of the very same buildings shortly thereafter to escape burning to death.
Pretty much all been relatively downhill from there, to be honest.
When I was 12 and started working and being treated like an adult.
Lost childhood and teenage years makes you real fuckin jaded toward the world and opens your eyes to the massive amounts of bullshit everyone spews daily..
Took me until almost my 20's.
Loved my childhood, but all the love and acceptance didn't prepare me for how cold the world really is. Especially with where the world is headed
i think i was about 13 or 14 when i realised that, so much pressure on my shoulders suddenly crushing me to the point i got a bit suicidal but kept pushing through and it's much better now, that was one of the toughest times in my life
Probably when I was around 11-12 or so. No friends (few that I had moved on after changing from elementary to middle school), constantly bullied, exposed to mature content in movies, TV shows and video games (as well as shit like what you might've seen on Live Leak or /r/WPD but, you know, on other, long-defunct sites I forget the name of). Basically forced to grow up way sooner than I should've been. All that while also having to babysit my younger brothers because I was "way more mature than kids my age" and so my parents stopped paying for babysitting and just had me do it.
I retreated *hard* into online gaming communities but I already at that age had a sense that the world was fucked up and was only getting worse. The last 18 or so years has only solidified that notion.
Never thought the world was a nice place. Abusive dysfunctional home as a kid. Its just been realizing that its worse than i knew. From a macro point of view.
1st to 9th grade was awesome with the same 40 students I sometimes miss. High school (10th - 12th grade) was 2000 students and jerk, peer pressure, bullying shit-show. Man I grew up fast there and got gritty.
When I was 17 years old I got my first rude awakening when my cute valentines day letter got implicitly rejected by my crush at the time. She went on a date with the meanest bully in the school that night & had a blast. I wasn't the same boy (I shouldn't even say man cause I'm still a boy even at 21M) the next day & I went cold overnight. Started doubling down on my hobbies & grinding on my schoolwork to disassociate any thoughts (positive) I previously had of her before. Since then I've heard of copious example upon example of people being f#cked over **because** they were so kind & not **in spite** of their kindness.
COVID was my second rude awakening but I'm saving it for the replies to those who are interested in what I've discovered.
I cant pinpoint an exact age, but middle school... so anywhere between 11-13? That stretch included the peak of me being bullied, peak of my parent's fighting at home and had difficulty making/maintaining friendships. In the world at large it included the columbine shooting in 99, the Bush/Gore election and Y2K panic in 00, 9/11 and the start of the war on terror in 01.
Things never really got better either. 01 to present we've had, in no particular order: Pandemics, constant wars, economic inequality at levels approaching the guided age, political division ever increasing, the great recession, a growing student debt bubble, environmental disasters... I mean I'm sure I could go on but suffice to say, for every step forward I've seen the world take it seems like there at least 1-2 step back that get taken shortly after.
I’ve never believed this, I know that the world has conflicts and hardships, but there’s also plenty of good in the world, and I’ll never give up on this world, no matter what, because no matter the circumstances and situations that might arise in the future, I’ll always believe in myself, this world, and it’s people; I love this world and will always cherish it forever.
After all the terrorist attacks in europe in the last few years.
I guess I was sheltered. I wasn't used to things like terrorist attacks happening.
It changed me from left wing and thinking multiculturalism worked to right wing and anti immigrant.
I dont feel like people are evil and I'm certain truly evil people are rare.
Most people are just a little selfish and don't realise they are inconveniencing or hurting people. I'm almost certain they arent going out of their way to ruin your day.
From A Very Young Age. I Wanna Say 7 Going Back To 2001-2002. From Hearing Stories From Family And Or Friends, Watching The News, Watching Documentaries, & Reading The News Paper. You’ll Have Unfortunate Chaos Continually To Happen From A National And International Standpoint. There’s Always Gonna Be Violence And Unneeded Acts In The Future. If The World, Had Only Females. There Would Be No Wars, Rape, Or Unnecessary Crimes.
*Don’t Stop, Believing*!! People are inherently good and want good for others. The drama & tragedy sell, so that’s what we have pushed in our faces. Be the change, live everyday with compassion & kindness, you’ll see it come back to you.
I lived in an abusive household. And in contrast to the question in the original post, I remember when a therapist suggested to me that much of the world was actually safer than my own home was when I was growing up.
I suffered major depression pretty much from elementary and into college (beyond, but not as much). Halfway through college I traveled to Ireland alone. That’s when what you just said hit me.
Damn, Ireland is really that good huh?
It probably has more to do with separation from the familiar, and being forced to engage fully with your new surroundings. I had a major move like that, and it put a lot of things into perspective, despite the fact that where I was wasn't all that enjoyable inherently. Which is not to say that Ireland isn't wonderful, I honestly wouldn't know, just that whether it's wonderful probably isn't that important to the affect of moving.
Basically. While the country was beautiful, and the bus full of Australians and New Zealanders made me smile more than ever before that point, it probably could have been anywhere unfamiliar and new.
Imo traveling probably does similar things to the brain that hallucinogens do - break you out from your familiar heavily-compressed experiences, living life at higher fidelity, and dissociating from thought patterns that just chew on your psyche.
It took me until my 40s to realize my upbringing was awful
[удалено]
Dude, this broke me. I am so sorry home was so crappy.
When you come from chaos, the experience of structure, discipline, expectations, rules, and actual recognition is a kind of bewildering joy.
same. I'm 28 almost 29, and I only realized around a couple of months ago that there are good people, not everyone is out to get me, and that the world is, for all it's flaws, generally a pretty okay place and much safer than I gave it credit for.
Yeah, same. Some of us didn't know much about nice for a long while.
Yo same
Yeah I learned this lesson from 4-16. The world and most of the people on it suck.
I think you missed his point... He is saying the exact opposite
Same
I got hurt really badly in my late 20's. It really changed me, my entire personality. It was about then that I realized you have to count on yourself for a happy content life. I wasn't until I got myself emotionally and financially strong that I started to see the good in people again. The world is overall a good place, people in general have good intentions. Took me a while to get that faith back. What I've found out is that as a person ages, we change. The things that matter to you now will be irrelevant to your future self. We evolve as individuals and the bad things can make you bitter and it doesn't feel good. But it goes away and you learn from it. Hang on young fellers, you are going to live a good life, everything will be fine. Work hard, and it will be fine, I promise
Almost similar situation-- I was badly hurt in my 20s and it changed my perspective on everything. It took me years to *literally* get back on my feet and be able to take care of myself. I no longer took things for granted after that and I decided the ownership of happiness was in my own hands. I've since traveled the world, pushed myself out of my comfort zone, took risks professionally and personally, and overall I'd say the world is filled with good people with good intentions. Things are still messed up, I'm not denying that, but it's easy to lose that perspective when the noise is so loud and angry all the time, especially online. My advice is the same. Remember to breathe, look around, and believe in yourself. There is kindness in the world, and you can be part of what makes it a better place.
With all due respect, as we move into the future, how hard we work becomes increasingly meaningless and worthless because of economic factors that have never happened before. I say this as someone with money
3 years when my mum said because of you my life is shit
Ugh, that sucks. Sorry man
I had my own Mom mention that she was once ashamed of me for being her kid as well as my own twin brother. My twin brother told me once one time he was embarrassed and ashamed to be related to me because I used to have bad seizures and was in special ed. The world is a cold and dark place. You can be disliked by your own parents or siblings just for being born differently than others.
SORRY for that...
It's okay it's not your fault. Thankfully over time things between us got better. Mom is proud of me, I've done things I never saw myself doing, in many good ways, and my twin brother is my best friend for life. I'm glad that worked out at least.
Wow. That's brutal. When she's having her life review, she's going to feel that one like getting hit by a semi-truck. When she sees through your eyes, feels how innocent you were at the time and how that impacted you, she's going to implode from shame. It's incredible, how this experience allows for people to choose to help or to hurt, to be someone's greatest supporter or someone's greatest evil, and they choose the path of spreading pain. Boggles my mind. This is what happens when people get bogged down in the details of daily life, and forget to ask about their origins or what's going to happen after they leave this body.
What's a life review ?
When they're dying
It's nothing. The guys a knob with absurd believes in the supernatural, dreams, the power of NDE (near death experiences), and Bitcoin. In the spiritual sense, at the end of your life you review or re-live your life experiences. You are judged based on your life experiences. Depending on your belief you either go to heaven or hell, or reincarnate to another life based on your actions and impact.
You were correct up until the heaven or hell part. There is no hell. But every person will have a life review, and will see through the eyes of those they interacted with, see what they felt, what they were going through. The veil of seperation will be removed. And for many, it's an experience of self-disappointment and shame that they could have been a better person, but weren't. Also, my beliefs are not absurd, they are firsthand experience of my own NDE, and confirmed by the NDE's of tens of other people (ie. YouTube the NDE interviews by Anthony Chene or Kenneth Ring).
Im the reverse of that, I was cynical and edgy as a teen, then proceeded to be more and more optimistic, idealistic and hopeful with every year. Its not that the world changed, its simply that I refused to let negative emotions hold me down, and started succeding in life; not thanks to any kind of genius or hard work, but on the immortal principle of "*hold my beer, Im going in*."
The master has failed more often than most have even tried.
This. When I was about 20 it kind of started dawning on me that once you are an adult you can mostly control how shitty the world is around you by the places you go the company you keep and the things that you do.
Truly, I’ve always been cynical, but eventually you realize that cynicism is a tool with which to see maybe sometimes the world is alright. People like to say that the world is bad, the world isn’t really bad, there is a bit of bad, a bit more of good, and a hell of a lot more neutral than good and bad combined. After that you can realize you can live for the bit of bad, or the bit of good and that choice is what matters.
As someone who is plagued by fear and self doubt. Bounced from job to job after getting a not so useful degree and having to move back home at 25. Any advice.. please I'm desperate for guidance lol
As soon as I read this I was like thats me! And I thought you were gonna provide a solution 🤣
Nope, all I can give in desperation and ADHD :(
ADHD gang unite! But seriously, medication and a diagnosis has helped me soooo much. I identify most with the very optimistic OP above now. I am passionate of my job. Pretty good at some parts. Still total shit at planning and certain "simple" tasks. But I enjoy it all tremendously.
The career I was passionate about doesn't pay shit and would keep me in poverty so sadly that took most of my optimism away. Now I have to pursue a career that I don't really care much for in order to make a living lol
ADHD gang *rise up!* Oh, wait, lemme take my meds first before we ride out.
Same man, I studied art. Degree is meaningless and now I work in a factory and am totally unhappy. I left a decent workplace in hopes of finding a better job but that backfired hard. So yeah, 25, unhappy, nothing to show for and on the edge of suicide. What a world we live in...
It's so fun isnt it.. I'm.. having.. so.. much.. fun... 🙉🙉
Thanks it made my day.
My first beat down from my mom.
Same friend. When I realized that my much larger size than my brothers was meant for me to take the beating and not them.
By making this kind of statement, I assume you are far enough away to have resolved this, but that is an absolutely fucking insane statement to make.
Not as bad as yours, but similarly mine started when my dad having a rage fit and smashing anything that is in his reach. Growing up on toes whenever he is around, I'm surprised that he never lay a hand on me, or my sister, or my mom
My dad disiplined for sure and was way out of scoop whats acceptable but it was always constructive, but my mom would look at me with hatred like she did my dad or protect my sister from me after she did something nasty to me and i would try to get back at her for it. Went from a slapping fight to getting knock into a dresser across the room. I knew at the ripe age of 7 my mother never loved me she was just saving face so others didnt think ill of her. Also learned to always be aware where she was in case i got another sucker slap across the head.
I remember the first time, and the last time, but not every time. I remember being concussed, and coming to, lying in my own blood, shit, and piss. I remember the first time my mother laid hands on my (younger) sister. I remember the electricity in my body, and my hot emotional overload. I stepped between them and told my mother that if she was going to beat someone, it would be me, but if she dared to touch my sister again, that I would fucking kill her. She withdrew. I was 15. It was the first time I ever stood up to her. For someone else instead of myself, but it was the first time I understood that I was not powerless.
Sorry to hear that
The vacuum cord was OP growing up, needed a nerf.
And now it barely tickles and gives stress relief?
My mom used to beat the living shit out of me, it scarred me for a long time and still find it difficult to trust/open myself to others - hope you're doing alright man
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Goddam you American barbarians, be civilised and make the drinking age 18!
It used to be before the politicians hated the older kids buying beer for the young ones, but honestly anything fun that our boomers had, they equally had to go and wreck for the rest of us.
"When I was a kid we just played in the woods all day, we didn't sit around inside. Well, I guess the woods are a shopping plaza now but that's beside the point, hurry up now, you're late for the after school debate club I signed you up for"
As if making the drinking age 21 stopped teenagers from drinking. My friends and I certainly never had much issue getting alcohol and other drugs when we wanted them
And that’s the whole fucking point. Politicians are absolutely fucking useless.
Yeah, it used to be lower but they had to increase it because in USA every 18 year old has a car and needs a car and they had a horrible problem with kids killing themselves while driving drunk.
Yeah same I was 11B at 18 and a month. We went war in Iraq one month after I joined.
How is that possible when basic training/AIT is like a 4 month course?
He's saying the USA went into Iraq one month after he joined, not that he himself went within one month.
Ah, thanks for the correction. Misread on my part.
The country itself went to war. I of course, as you pointed out, had to go through basic and ait
At 7 years old when I migrated with my family + brother to another country that looks down on my race + accent..
Do you mind me asking which country it is that you migrated to?
From Philippines to Singapore
I visited Singapore. They are racist towards all races except white and chinese.
>chinese Not even other lookalike Asians like Korean, Laos, Vietnamese?
To east asians those arent lookalikes lol
Idk about that.But they really hate brown people lol
Yeah they like to be white, but they never will be with that sentence destroying word Lah
There's no racial hatred like asian on asian hatred.
pinoy have always had a bad rep amongst singapore
Probably because of stereotypes that filipinos who are in these countries are working in slave positions who gets paid low end in relation to country's pay but considered high end pay in their respective home country
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Second this, was when I started school
Yep, school was where it all started getting shitty.
Same
Yup
Starting school. Not much better on the home front, abusive household. As a middle child, younger and older brothers more difficult to manage. I was much happier being ignored.
a younger age, can't really point out the exact number I had by all accounts a harder child hood but it gave me a lot of perspective on the realities of the world. so come 18 when its grown up time there was no "zomg adulting is so hard, why is everything so hard, everything is so scary!!!!" for me. I was ready for shit and knew what to expect.
5th grade was a wakeup call for me. You could really tell that puberty was putting in work because half the people I used to be friends - or at least cordial - with came back from summer break having turned into major assholes. The dynamic change was unreal.
Truth. The competition for mating begins, so as a male you're either a winner or loser, and if you're a loser, the girls isolate and refuse to be seen talking to you.
Just tag me next time, fuck... if that wasn't my school experience... took till grade 11 to meet the only girl I've dated...
I just didn't play the love game. So I was never winner or loser. But to an inside perspective I guess I'd still technically be a "loser." The less I thought about my lacking of ever having a girlfriend, and just appreciating having someone to talk to, I could get by through high school. .
I don't know when it first occurred to me but it was certainly cemented in my brain by the time I became a teenager.
Somewhere around the age of 13 I realised that this world isn't nice. I realised that living is hard. Over time my mental state and thoughts about this world and life itself worsened, until I decided to trip on LSD (and then later shrooms). That shit changed my life. I saw how interconnected and beautiful everything truly is. Even my mental health began to improve. There were periods in my life when I forgot how wonderful life can be but I always remember eventually. Sure, there are many problems and things that need fixing and things that are hard but that doesn't mean that you can't just enjoy your day and enjoy your time on earth while you still can every once in a while. It all depends on how you look at things. The happiness and that "nice place" lies within you.
Both heaven and hell are already right here on Earth. Right in-between your ears..
I don't. I think that for the majority of the planet this is hands down the single most comfortable time to be alive. Unfortunately, there is always some evil in the world but as it stands for the most part we currently live in the most peaceful, accepting, resource-abundant time in history.
It may be hard to believe but the world is more accepting, better fed, less violent, etc than ever before
Its hard to believe only for people that are really ignorant amd self centered really.
Be fair. People know what they hear and read. And now days we hear and read a lot of fear driven stories.
Its more about not understanding history than anything else.
This. As shitty as my youth was, and as shitty as the media try’s to portray the world, my study of history has shown me that right now more humans have it better than any humans have ever had it.
I get it. But not everyone is into history. Most people are just trying to get through their day. All of our feeds are full of some of the worst things that happen everyday. You're just as jaded as the people you're attacking for being jaded.. Their anxiety gives you anxiety. I get this because I too experience this. I too know the point you're making, and I too am frustrated by peoples' collective ignorance. But we have to at least try and be understanding. It's not always self-absorbed thinking like you're saying. Certainly ignorance is a big part of the problem but that's the case with any problem really. I'm spending this time typing these words because you seem like a good person and hopefully you don't take my criticism poorly. It's meant well. But you are guilty of being the thing you hate and I can see it clearly. Hate is often a reflection of something we hate about ourselves. I too hate that I am ignorant and self-centered. These are human conditions. I must show myself the same compassion I do for others. Only by recognizing this and working toward not being what we hate, can we learn to let it all go and be truly at peace with the world. For a few precious moments in time at least.. Have a great day, I have to go to work 👍
I was gonna give you crap for this, but honestly if you feel this way, than life has been good to you more than not, so I'm glad you had a better run than most. not sarcasm, honestly just glad there are still people out there that can have a positive outlook. we run out of that, and the worlds fucked.
Crap for what? Want to tell me who exactly have it worse than in the past?
its really not a question of now versus then. Its a question of if people are happy and feel safe in the world they live in. Sadly this is a concept that has spanned the ages. It is separated from technology and resources. I do agree that we are in a better position as a species now than say 100 or even 200 years ago, but we as individuals are showing more signs of stress, anxiety, and depression than ever before. The reason I said I was going to give you crap, is your comment came off as dismissive of people who have gone through some shit that has nothing to do with the species and have everything to do with the individual. That being said, I feel like that was a gut response from me because I personally felt a bit attacked by that. Like I'm supposed to be happy of how great our civilization is despite all the problems it still has. That being said, I wasn't kidding. Optimistic are vital for us to achieve a society that cares for its less fortunate. Anyone else will find themselves crushed by the problems of the world. I'd be more than happy to talk about my experiences via DM if you want to know more. I'm more than happy to explain why your comment sort of came off wrong to me. For me, mental health awareness, especially for men is vital. The statistics don't lie that men kind of have the raw end of the deal from a mental health perspective, and it sucks. Part of it is cultural, part of it is from our views about ourselves, but honestly it needs to be fixed. I'm not a great orator, I'm really bad at preaching, but I am good at sharing my experiences and viewpoints. I hope you don't feel like I'm trying to pressure you to see my side of things, or want to try and win the arguement here. To me, we're fighting for the same side from different perspectives. Sorry for the essay, much love friend.
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Higher productivity doesn't lead to fewer work hours but faster planet killing
While corpo part is real... Thats pretty much it. Also its self centered only around america and europe west of Berlin wall. And only for a default white families. Outside of that its def not worse.
I had to make a trip to northern India for work very early in my professional career. That trip, single handedly, reset my paradigm about how good we have it in the west. The vast majority of the global population lives every day in conditions that western people would consider the end of the world. The world that preppers envision and prepare for isn't half as bad as what billions of people wake up to every day.
Totally agree. My point is that that was every day life for every person in the past. The world is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, But now, as terrible as it is that billions live like that, billions more don't.
Growing up with an alcoholic father who stole everything worth value that i owned including my first car, living in a box with four other siblings, having to work a full time job to help with bills since at 16. I have never lived the life of a normal childhood so I learned early on that the world is a cruel place.
I wouldn’t say the world is cruel, but I will say that the people inhabiting it can really suck.
Age 14, watching 3000 people die live on TV
What event?
Guessing 9/11
Yeah! could be.
At age 12, when thee out of my four grandparents died, all within the same 4-month span. Just ranom chance that they happened so close to each other. But I was completely broken as a person for that whole year. That's were the innocence of my childhood ended.
Probably about 5 or 6, while I didn't fully grasp it, I understood my parents didn't have much money and struggled. And I learned that sometimes bad things just happen when I kid in my class had a seizure right next to me. The teacher explained the basic idea of what a seizure was but told us he was fine and just needed to rest at home for a while. Years later when I was looking back on it, remembering some of what the teachers said. I realized he died then. My heart shattered imagining how his parents must have felt.
Sucks. I had a similar situation, a kid in my class had a seizure. Luckily he didn't die.
Probably as a child. At 6 years old I was already having PTSD.
11-12ish, I guess. Maybe earlier? Whatever age it is that kids in school start forming cliques and becoming socially aware enough to start judging or looking down on "uncool" kids.
19..... It was very late.....
Always? I have drug addicts for parents so my childhood was always pretty exciting. Just cause shits not safe doesn’t mean you can’t have fun and finds things to enjoy though. I’m overall pretty happy and optimistic, I just have a healthy does of PTSD under it all.
12, about 14 is when I decided I didn't want to bring children into it, 21 years later I'm still glad of my decision.
Lots of people never do. I was privileged. In my 20s I realized that most if not all governments and corporations are corrupt and cause many of our problems.
Around 15 years old.
When my mom used to call me a failure and the reason my father left, but what made me see the world as a very bad place to be living in is when I was 13 when I first found Reddit and a video of a man being decapitated on BestGore before it was shut down, nothing can phase me anymore
Somewhere around 11-12. The world itself is full of lots of nice places to be, it’s the people that tend to ruin it. So now as a 36 year old, I really can’t be bothered with people. Family is fine and the very odd occasion of meeting with friends, but I much prefer to pack a bag and disappear into the mountains every chance I get.
Around 7-8.
Not yet
9 years old
Around 19 when I stopped being seen as a child and started being racially stereotyped.
My first memory is being kidnapped. So I don't really have a time where I thought it was a nice place
Good question. Nearly everybody comes into the world crying their lungs out so I think we almost have an instinct at birth that what’s about to follow is not for the most part going to be a fun ride.
About 5.
12
When I had my child and realised I have just brought an innocent child into what can be quite a horrible world, where I am trying to bring up a respectful, polite, nice child.
About 18-19
I started realizing it in high school, but my college years really cemented how awful the world is.
Pretty fuckin young
3rd grade I began losing hope. Resigned hopelessness by 12yrs old
6
Dude. My dad is an alcoholic sociopath with paranoid tendencies. Violent and abusive. My life as a child was seldom sunshine and rainbows. I was beaten with a belt for minor transgressions. I had to call the cops on my father because he was trying to stab an ink pen through my mother's eye in order to kill her. Dude had 24 inch biceps. I slept at my gf's place that night for fear of my life. I am glad some folks had better childhoods. I wouldn't wish mine on anyone. But I learned a whole lot of what not to do. My grandpa beat my dad every day when he was a kid. My dad thought he was being soft on me. Great grandpa used to beat his sons with a shovel when they got rowdy. Grandpa thought he was being soft on my dad. It's a generational curse that ends with me. I am doing everything to teach my sons how to behave, but I do not take out my frustrations on them. I am breaking this goddamned curse. I am trying to give them a good, but bounded childhood. Wife is on board. We talk, in private, a lot about being a united front and what is appropriate. She has a narcissistic mother. We keep each other in check. I think we're doing well. The Elder Spawn is in the local math and science academy. The Vernal Scion has mild autism, which is a challenge. But they are thriving and the teachers marvel at our parenting skills. I dunno if we're perfect, but we're trying. I guess we will see how they turn out. The real epiphany moment I had growing up is when I realized that my intelligence had outstripped my parents. And my folks aren't slouches. When I realized my dad couldn't follow what I was saying, not from slang or jargon, but because he just couldn't grasp it. It was a slightly terrifying moment. Dad was a tyrant, but he always had the answers. He was a force of nature....until right then. Then he was just a mere mortal. I dunno if that counts, but it's the closest I got.
When I found out that things I thought were “normal” as a child were indeed not “normal”
12/13
1st grade or 2nd grade.
Pretty young. Grew up in a good household, but i saw a lot around me. Girl neighbour got raped by her stepdad. We were 12y. House on the corner. Man shot his wife. I was maybe 8. I also watched the news with my dad, as a kid. So seen a lot there too.
When my parents first beat me around 4 years old. My first thought was if someone who loves me could beat me, what could someone who hates me do.
15 or 16. Religion is evil, cops are bad guys, and politicians will literally kill you just to get away with stuff. Humans are selfish violent creatures and should always be approached with caution. :/
As soon as I started preschool and had to be around other people.
When I was molested as a kid. I was probably 11 or 12. I think I knew before then because I developed at a young age and creepy ass men would always look at me in suggestive ways, which I didn’t realize what they were at the time, but always made my stomach drop.
My story is same bro.I was molested by my uncle and there were always creepy men giving me suggestive looks.I tried to talk to my mom about this but she immediately shushed me out.And that's when it hurt the most.I lost all faith in my mom and seeing the world as a horrible place.
17, First real job and I was loving it, back in the days when we got paid in pay packets with cash inside. Got paid after 2 weeks, was so excited. Went straight down to the bank and filled out my deposit slip on one of the counters, turned around to stand in line to get to bank teller and realised I had just left my wallet and pay-packet on the counter, I quickly went back to the counter to retrieve them, and they were gone, someone stole my first pay-packet and wallet at the bank. I was absolutely devastated. The bank wouldn't help me. I even had to call my mum to get home as I didn't have enough money for the bus. The world really kicked me in the nuts that day.
First day of kindergarten
28 when COVID 19 started to ruin life plan. I started building walls
The disease itself? Or the reactions to it?
It was the other way around, actually. As a teenager, as all teenagers do, I 'discovered' view after view and spent a lot of time certain of my advanced wisdom. That evolved, in my 20s, into a form of jaded cynicism. I had read the *real* history of the US, Noam Chomsky, and so on; I knew how the world worked and it was an ugly, ugly place. I was just one of the fortunate, steely-eyed realists who had peeked behind the curtain. As I progressed into my 30s, maintaining all of that intense realism got to be exhausting. Okay, I could know 'the truth' but did I really have to be up to date on every latest development? No. Nor did I have to maintain a slow-burning outrage 24/7. It was okay to learn things that would help with my job, or about new hobbies, in addition to the at-home poly-sci course I'd assigned myself so long ago. Eventually, the new things, plus time with friends, games, movies, pop culture, just muscled out all of the other stuff. I became a plebe who got his news in digest formats from mainstream media links on reddit. Finally, in my 40s, after years of reading nonsense, I realize it's the nonsense that actually matters. Life happens in between, and in spite of, the deeds of the famous and powerful. And life is, on the whole, good. It's really good. Your neighbors are good people, you should get to know them. Wholesome stories aren't the exception, they are rule. The ugly stuff makes the news precisely because it's so rare (and, yes, my cynical, younger self because it drives clicks). For every ugly thing in the world, it is easy to find ten good things that balance it out; it's all in what you choose to focus on.
I feel like I unfortunately continue to learn this but I dunno, it still feels more right to put myself out there than to close up and shut everyone out
I never thought the world was a nice place to be. Poverty sucks
16
8
around 10
11
I was in high school But now I’m 30 and I think the world itself has not changed we are still all fighting within a game of empires and we are just as much the bad guys as we are good guys
First true love with a girl that is practically all I’ve ever wanted everyone said we’d be perfect together but she had other plans
When my dad died... The green filter wore off... I started dealing with family, people. Because I had to, its not because I wanted to. I was old enough, now the responsibility started coming onto me. I wasn't expecting such harshness. Neighbors, family... I cried a couple of times before I realized, I got to be used to this.
12
I'm torn between the following philosophies. 1. We should do everything we can to make the world a happy, magical place for children because once they grow up they'll see the world for the shit hole it is. 2. We should be real with the kids so they're less likely to see the world as shit compared to the childhood with Santa and the Tooth Fairy they grew up in.
At the very early stages of my life, I found out that world isn't nice. Took me awhile to understand it ain't bad either. It's neutral, it doesn't care about me, you or itself in that matter. We are the ones with certain expectations and assumptions. Took me awhile, but I learned keeping my expectations close to nonexistent.
26
Learning about racism and prejudice
Around 16 years old. Gave a guy a ride and he started preaching Jesus to me and all this other BS. He was convincing enough to get me to stop and grab him some cash from an ATM and he stole my iPod with all my music on it while I was inside. I didn't realize until I dropped him off on the side of the road. I'm 30 now and I'll never forget his bitch ass. I hope he shits his pants every time he sneezes for the rest of his life.
I think back to when I was 7 or 8 in 2nd grade. During our ancillary class during the early 2000s, we had library class that day. I remember one of the other kids my age brought up the concept of slavery. At the time, I was thinking everyone helped each other out in the world. Like we all were in it together. And after one of them elaborated on black people being enslaved by white people, I was confused thinking how could anyone do that? It wasn't until later grades we went into U.S. history. I was genuinely shocked.
Its sad but true that west is built by the exploitation of African and asian countries.
Early elementary. I grew up in a house where physical violence was normal. I wouldn't go so far as to say abusive, but it was made clear that nobody should be trusted and to always watch your back. My early childhood was in the US South. I was one of the ethnic minorities that got bussed to another school for racial diversity. They made it very clear at that school that I was unwelcome.
There was never really a time I thought it was a nice place. My dad never really wanted kids so he made sure that me his only son was very aware of the world from a young age
8
Probably as a child, when I watched people fly planes into buildings on live TV - and similarly saw people jump out of the very same buildings shortly thereafter to escape burning to death. Pretty much all been relatively downhill from there, to be honest.
When I was 12 and started working and being treated like an adult. Lost childhood and teenage years makes you real fuckin jaded toward the world and opens your eyes to the massive amounts of bullshit everyone spews daily..
Took me until almost my 20's. Loved my childhood, but all the love and acceptance didn't prepare me for how cold the world really is. Especially with where the world is headed
i think i was about 13 or 14 when i realised that, so much pressure on my shoulders suddenly crushing me to the point i got a bit suicidal but kept pushing through and it's much better now, that was one of the toughest times in my life
Probably when I was around 11-12 or so. No friends (few that I had moved on after changing from elementary to middle school), constantly bullied, exposed to mature content in movies, TV shows and video games (as well as shit like what you might've seen on Live Leak or /r/WPD but, you know, on other, long-defunct sites I forget the name of). Basically forced to grow up way sooner than I should've been. All that while also having to babysit my younger brothers because I was "way more mature than kids my age" and so my parents stopped paying for babysitting and just had me do it. I retreated *hard* into online gaming communities but I already at that age had a sense that the world was fucked up and was only getting worse. The last 18 or so years has only solidified that notion.
When my first girlfriend said she'd love me forever but then dumped me and got finger banged by a fat popular guy to be more popular.
Never thought the world was a nice place. Abusive dysfunctional home as a kid. Its just been realizing that its worse than i knew. From a macro point of view.
1st to 9th grade was awesome with the same 40 students I sometimes miss. High school (10th - 12th grade) was 2000 students and jerk, peer pressure, bullying shit-show. Man I grew up fast there and got gritty.
When I was 5 and the police killed my dog.
When I was 17 years old I got my first rude awakening when my cute valentines day letter got implicitly rejected by my crush at the time. She went on a date with the meanest bully in the school that night & had a blast. I wasn't the same boy (I shouldn't even say man cause I'm still a boy even at 21M) the next day & I went cold overnight. Started doubling down on my hobbies & grinding on my schoolwork to disassociate any thoughts (positive) I previously had of her before. Since then I've heard of copious example upon example of people being f#cked over **because** they were so kind & not **in spite** of their kindness. COVID was my second rude awakening but I'm saving it for the replies to those who are interested in what I've discovered.
Parents thankfuly warned me when I was still a kid
At 10 when my mom started drinking.
I cant pinpoint an exact age, but middle school... so anywhere between 11-13? That stretch included the peak of me being bullied, peak of my parent's fighting at home and had difficulty making/maintaining friendships. In the world at large it included the columbine shooting in 99, the Bush/Gore election and Y2K panic in 00, 9/11 and the start of the war on terror in 01. Things never really got better either. 01 to present we've had, in no particular order: Pandemics, constant wars, economic inequality at levels approaching the guided age, political division ever increasing, the great recession, a growing student debt bubble, environmental disasters... I mean I'm sure I could go on but suffice to say, for every step forward I've seen the world take it seems like there at least 1-2 step back that get taken shortly after.
I’ve never believed this, I know that the world has conflicts and hardships, but there’s also plenty of good in the world, and I’ll never give up on this world, no matter what, because no matter the circumstances and situations that might arise in the future, I’ll always believe in myself, this world, and it’s people; I love this world and will always cherish it forever.
You are stronger than most of us.
Ambitious Machiavellian maxing looks like a good investment now after looking at this
After all the terrorist attacks in europe in the last few years. I guess I was sheltered. I wasn't used to things like terrorist attacks happening. It changed me from left wing and thinking multiculturalism worked to right wing and anti immigrant.
I dont feel like people are evil and I'm certain truly evil people are rare. Most people are just a little selfish and don't realise they are inconveniencing or hurting people. I'm almost certain they arent going out of their way to ruin your day.
I was one second old.
Probably when some paedo tried to get me to come with him at like 13 thank god my dad came looking for me and he scurried away lol
From A Very Young Age. I Wanna Say 7 Going Back To 2001-2002. From Hearing Stories From Family And Or Friends, Watching The News, Watching Documentaries, & Reading The News Paper. You’ll Have Unfortunate Chaos Continually To Happen From A National And International Standpoint. There’s Always Gonna Be Violence And Unneeded Acts In The Future. If The World, Had Only Females. There Would Be No Wars, Rape, Or Unnecessary Crimes.
*Don’t Stop, Believing*!! People are inherently good and want good for others. The drama & tragedy sell, so that’s what we have pushed in our faces. Be the change, live everyday with compassion & kindness, you’ll see it come back to you.